When summer arrives, I think of road trips. This is partly because the summer road trip is one of those life-defining rites of passage, at least for Americans, and partly because it’s the season in which my most memorable road trips have taken place. But the journey that comes back to me most poignantly each time the weather turns warm is a road trip I made though France the summer after I graduated from college.

Steinbeck had Charley. Dorothy had Toto. Heck, even Waldo had Woof for company as he ventured into the Land of Waldos. Real and fictional, canine traveling companions have a long and celebrated history. Here’s how to road trip with fido like a pro.

Recreational vehicles sit somewhere between hotels and tents. The upside: RV life is autonomous—your quarters travel with you—and allows for spontaneous stops. But then again, RVs need loads of gas and can be tricky to park. In any case, they represent a truly unique mode of transport that’s tailor-made for road tripping. Here’s your guide to getting started.

The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups.

The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups.

The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups. Photograph by Kristian Leven, My Shot.

The Radar: Top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the web #ngtradar. Check back the next day for our daily roundup.

Across the U.S., hundreds of free events and activities mean you can celebrate the crowning of Louisiana’s Crawfish Queen, get an insider’s look at NASA’s famed Jet Propulsion Lab, take your basset hound to the beach, and participate in a mad shopping cart race through New York—all without spending a dime. Browse our lists of…

The Radar: Top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the web #ngtradar. Check back the next day for our daily roundup.

Morocco is a destination rich with history, art, and culture. Where do you start? Here are five things you must see on your next trip. [The Planet D] When NASA’s final Space Shuttle mission launched last Friday, it marked the beginning of the end of another chapter in space travel’s history. But that doesn’t mean…

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